Well tomorrow is the day where I drop down to 3.9mg. This drop was no picnic. I was tired a lot, even sort of depressed. I had the morning dread quite a few mornings. Like the other times it ended in a few hours but the hours felt like days in a way.
Being on this type of drug for 15 years has really taken its toll. I do catch myself being angry that I just floated by on this stuff and ignored anything that was said about medication if it was negative.
It’s like I can’t wait to be free of this stuff, but I also know if I do it too fast I will suffer more and have many problems.
I have updated my Taper sheet; I noticed I forgot to update it, so I am now current.
Exercising has been coming along, however I keep dealing with problems with my cross trainer. So I did a lot of research and got a spinning bike. It is so different from the cross trainer. But I really want a steady form of cardio.
The strength training is coming along, I no longer have a lot of muscle pain from the dumbbells and have actually have inspired a friend and a family member to start.
Weight and strength training is very important. After the age of 40 you start to lose muscle anyhow. Working on your muscles and keeping them in shape and healthy helps you to burn more calories, promote bone growth and bone health and it protects your bones. I like the idea of strengthening my back to protect my back from injuries.
When you work on strength training especially weights you open up receptors in the muscle and your calories get “diverted” to your muscle and not you gut in the form of fat. Doing one good workout will keep that going for up to 48 hours. That is a lot longer than cardio.
I like cardio because of the heart benefits and it also, at least for me, wipes out my withdrawal symptoms for at least 8 hours. So 3 times a week I do strength training and 5 – 6 days a week I do the cardio. This week was spotty because of vacation.
Too Dazed
Being on this type of drug for 15 years has really taken its toll. I do catch myself being angry that I just floated by on this stuff and ignored anything that was said about medication if it was negative.
It’s like I can’t wait to be free of this stuff, but I also know if I do it too fast I will suffer more and have many problems.
I have updated my Taper sheet; I noticed I forgot to update it, so I am now current.
Exercising has been coming along, however I keep dealing with problems with my cross trainer. So I did a lot of research and got a spinning bike. It is so different from the cross trainer. But I really want a steady form of cardio.
The strength training is coming along, I no longer have a lot of muscle pain from the dumbbells and have actually have inspired a friend and a family member to start.
Weight and strength training is very important. After the age of 40 you start to lose muscle anyhow. Working on your muscles and keeping them in shape and healthy helps you to burn more calories, promote bone growth and bone health and it protects your bones. I like the idea of strengthening my back to protect my back from injuries.
When you work on strength training especially weights you open up receptors in the muscle and your calories get “diverted” to your muscle and not you gut in the form of fat. Doing one good workout will keep that going for up to 48 hours. That is a lot longer than cardio.
I like cardio because of the heart benefits and it also, at least for me, wipes out my withdrawal symptoms for at least 8 hours. So 3 times a week I do strength training and 5 – 6 days a week I do the cardio. This week was spotty because of vacation.
Too Dazed
10 comments:
yay for you! You did not mention how you are feeling now are you having any anxiety or depression? How about sleep, are you sleeping well? Did you en up changing anything at all in your suppliments or aides? what was useful and what was not
I just take the fish oil and the Mag. Also with a one a day type.
I had minor withdrawal but also got the flu at the same exact time!!!
So glad today that is over! and so is the withdrawal. Being sick I kind of get sad, so not sure if that was withdrawal. my anxiety seems to hit when I am out and about.
right before i got sick I was out and it hit me and I did the deep breathing, focused on the "present" by checking out my surroundings and it went away.
Actually that happened twice, but I am purposely putting myself in situations that previously made me nervous. Lots of ground to cover in that area still! LOL
Being so sick I could not relieve the withdrawal pain with exercise (for me that is the only thing that works) I did take some over the counter pain relievers twice.
I also slept well, but being sick puts you out!
Thanks for commenting!
Hi again. I am right here with you in withdrawals. I too have been on Lexapro. November marked two years of being on it. I had previously been on the Paxil for 8 years.In those 8 years I tried to slowly wean off three times. Each time I became deathly sick during the last 2 -3 mgs. The first attempt was after about two years on the 20 mg.s I lowered the dose to 15 for quite a while. Finally I got to 10 mgs. and gradually throughout more than a year got down to 2-3 mgs before I was slammed with terrible anxiety and eventually went into insufficient adrenal gland exhaustion. I ignored the symptoms and tried to reduce them with suppliments. The first two times I failed and became so sick that i ended up back on the medicine. The first time back on the 20 mg.s and had to take a another few years to build back up and reduce again. The second time I failed and went back on only 15 mgs. because I had hit menopause and that was not helping matters at all!!! After a few months I got frustrated and quit at 7.50 mgs only to get so sick that I crawled back to the dr and asked for a different anti depressant. Zoloft-it nearly killed me-seriously.I ended up in the psyciatric ward for 9 days until I was able to tolerate another anti depressants. I opted for the Lexapr and at only 10 mgs. because i was determined to get off of these monsters.I have been to various drs. and natural paths for support and assistance with this withdrawal, and researching like crazy to succeed this time. I am on my 11th day of having reduced to 3.20. after reducing very slowly and not over stimulating my system with 'anything' out of the ordinary. I am pleased to say I am still okay. I had a few irritable and blah days. A few depressing feeling days but nothing I could not handle because this time I knew it was just the withdrawal symptoms that would definitely pass. They did. I am not due to reduce again until the 14 day mark and I am not sure if i will or not due to the dark days and my not wanting to disrupt the joy of the upcoming holidays for my family. Hang in there!!!
Hi again. I tried to leave a message last night but maybe it was to long and detailed.I hope you are okay. I have been weaning down from 10 mg.of lexapro for over year. I am presently at 3.20 and holding. Due for another drop in a few days. Sometimes I can't tell if I am having a withdrawal or if it is just the medicine as I have felt so yuck since being on it. Hang in there and keep us posted. Feel free to ask me any questins.
I keep trying to post but it won't take it-are you doing okay if this makes it through
Matina,
Thanks for writing! I am still on the 3.9 and I am sorry that you have gone through so much. I have tried to taper two different times, my beginning dose was 40mg! I was doing 10 mg drops and I have to say that was hellish. Life was unbearable with the physical symptoms. I end up having brain seizures and had to go back to 40mg
I then did 10 mg drops with 6 months between and that was hellish, lots of muscle pain, nerve pain and depression/anxiety. Until I got to 10 mg and then read about slow taper. so with these little drops of 10 percent I am not having seizures and the withdrawal is there but not as intense.
As far as what I have read about the half life of Lexapro, any physical withdrawal symptoms will happen on the third day of your reduction, how long it stays is different depending on our systems.
for me I noticed Day 3 starts the physical and Day 11 starts some of the physiological issues such as the "Morning Dread" I get from the high cortisol and low dopamine levels.
I understand about the holidays I am trying to enjoy the season and it is hard indeed, i don't want to ruin it for my family.
It is good to hear that you are okay. I actually feel up and down. But I am also battling with treatment for a very under active thyroid HRT imbalances. I have journeled my progress and regression for several years and can't tell any more whether the lows are from the withdrawal or the HRT as I have issues with that not being stable in my system. I am REALlY tired of my days revolving around this medicine issues. I have been on this dose for about 16 days and wonder if I need to go back to the last 10 percent drop due to the feeling so unmotivated in this dark time of the year-SAD sets in on top of my other issues I really hate this. It is good to know we are not alone in this battle. I hope we both get through it and maybe have some healthy pointers for the rest of those battling this.
God Bless
HI. I hope you are still doing well. I am still on the 3.20 as I said and hope to remain here for a while, but we will see. I mentioned in an earlier message that I am also trying to keep my hormones balanced throughout all of this withdrawal. I would suggest that you consider having your hormones checked sometime during this process. As the withdrawals can reak havoc on any or all of them. Have a pleasant Thanksgiving.
Matina,
I am so sorry that you are going through that I know HRT is a dicey thing to go through.
I myself have hormone problems and if after the withdrawal does not improve will have to have a partial hysterectomy.
I also am tried of my days revolving around this (withdrawal) and that (hormones) sometimes it feels like life is passing me by. At least at sometime I will be off this anti-depressant and then will know what problems was caused by it.
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, I will muddle thorough it.
I have had to stay at certain doses for longer than others, I just chalk it up to the unpredictably of withdrawing from an anti-depressant.
Hi there!! Thanks for your words of encouragement. I know my gloom and frustrations was part of the withdrawal too. But Thanksgiving was better than I thought it would be. Of course I have had better in the past but through the withdrawal process it was better than I could have hoped for. Now Christmas is around the corner and I don't know whether to decrease or leave it alone. I see you are having sleep problems. I want to encourage you to resolve that as much as possible before reducing. You body needs as much rest and sleep as you can get to heal more quickly. Are you journaling? This helps in comparing days and the moods or other issues so you can resolve them better. So I made it through and actually have found some solutions to my hormones and moods. 1-you!!having someone that really understands this mess we have gotten into, that can actually correspond with me and feel each one's hope is encouraging.
2-PROGESTRONE increase. I am on HRT and for the past two years I was told my anxiety, sleep issues and hot flashes were low Estrogene NOT-it was the opposite-too low Progestrone. Raising my progestrone has made a huge difference in my anxiety and sleep.
3-Real coffee for me. I have had to keep stimulants like coffee and chocolate at a low-but research proves having smaller servings of real caffienated coffee is better for you than the decaffienated. A) the caffienating process imbalance the 400 natural chemicals in the coffee and uses chemicals that are worse for you than the caffiene. B) The full version of coffee improves your dopamine receptors for at least 6 hours. This improves your mood and gives you a better focus. C) No more than 2 cups in the morning of coffee and absolutely no caffiene of any type after 12pm!!! D) Exercise is good, but the nervous system is on such an overload with the withdrawal effects that cutting back on strenuous exercise and doing more gentle things like yoga and walking has been more beneficial at this time. E) Not a time for dieting. Dieting of any sort changes your bodies natural chemistry and this is not the time to put it through that. Eating healthy and enjoying what you eat is better for your moods which is the main focus right now. F) Keep you thyroid and adrenals as healthy naturally if possible. Eat foods that keep them as healthy as possible. Every one of our hormones are effected by being ON the anti depressant and worse coming OFF. Take care of yourself!!
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